Furniture-caster



(No Model.)

D. C. MEEHAN.

FURNITURE GASTBR. No.' 285,912. Patented oct. 2, 1823.

UNTTED STATES ATENT trice.

DAviD c. Munn/xiv, or coLnMBUS, GHI@ FURNITUREwCASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 285,91?, dated October2, 1883.

v Application filed May 1, 1893. `(No model.)

To all zoll/0m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID (l. MEEHAN, of Columbus, in the eouilty ofFranklin and State ol' Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Furnitnre-Casters, ot' which the following is a clear, full, andexact description, reference beingI had to the accompanying drawings,making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure lA is aperspective view of a 'furniturecaster with my ilnprovemeilts attached.Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same with the rear wheel removed. Fig.3 is a vertical section through a: .fr ol' Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is a bearing-Vframe with an oscillating axle. Fig. 5 .is an elevation ot one of myimproved wheels. Fig. (i is a separate view of the axle with itsinclined pivot or spindle.

My invention relates to that class of casters commonly known asplate-castersf7 and it consists i n the several combinations of deviceshereinafter explained and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the exact manner in which I `have carried it out.

The usual manner ot' making plate-casters is to provide the plate with alarge center piece or ste1n,of a diameter about equal to one-half ofthediameter of the plate, and which projects up into a hole made in thefurniture, leaving only a narrow outside annular space for screwholes,if the caster be applied to the legs of a chair, thus rendering thecaster very insecure. To overcome this difficulty I avoid entirely theuse of the large central stem, and provide steadying-pins, (one ormore,) cast near the periphery of the plate, with holes between for thereception of screws or nails for securing the plates in position. I alsomake my plates slightly dished out in the center to avoid rocking and tocompensate for any slight irregularities ofthe surface to which theplate is to be applied. rllhis I am enabledto do by avoiding the use ofthe central stem.

In the drawings, A represents the plate by which the caster is attachedto the furniture, provided with one or more steadying-pins7 B, and holesfor screws or nails. The central piece being omitted l'rom my improvedplate, there is no central hole, and this enables me to pass the screwsor nails diagonallyacross the grain oi" the wood, thus giving them afirm hold on the it'urniture-a great advantage gained over screws ornails passed straight with the grain of the wood, as isnecessary withthe present construction of the plate.

The oscillating axle C is cast with the lugs l) on its upper edge tobind against each side ot' the shank or central. bearingi'rame, E, asshown in Fig. 4, thus allowing the lower portion of the axle asufficient .play through the bearing-frame to give oscillation. to theaxle and to the wheels F. After the axle has been cast,it is set up inthe mold, and the bearingframe E is cast around it, and to prevent themetal el the bearing-trame from sticking to the axle'in the mold thecenter of the axle, between thelugs l is covered with sand, shellac, orother suitable substance. By this construction I secure within thebearing-frame a cheap and efficient oscillating axle :t'or the wheels ofa caster.

rlhe wheels of casters are usually made with plain concave sides, which,in brass, require much time to iinish up. By my manner of making thewheels I secure a much cheaper finish and at the saine time handsomeornamentation. I cast the wheel with a portion of the web on the sameplane and a portion of it sunken below the plane. For instance, I maycast the hub, spokes, and rim ofthe wheel on the same plane and sink therest of the wheel below the plane, as shown in Fig. 5. By a singlestroke on an emery wheel or belt, the raised parts d of the wheel areperfectly iinished, leaving the depressed portions e rough and forming abeautiful contrast. I- do not mean to limit myself to any particulardesign or to any particular parts of the wheel to .bc raised or sunk, asthese may be greatly varied. Vhcn iron wheels are cast inthis forni,they may be japanned in any desired color, and when dry the japan shouldbe ground oli' the raised parts. rlhe wheel may then `be put through acopper bath inthe usual way, when the raised parts will present abeautiful cop` per finish, andthe depressed portions japanned in /anydesired color. By thus casting the wheels with a portion of the surfacevsunken, the c'ost of finishing` is greatly reduced, and at the same timean ornamentation secured which will add greatly to popular demand forthe. caster. It ,isevident that the raised parts of the wheel maybe onthe same or on different planes 'without departing,` from the spirit of`my invention. Y

I am aware that a caster-plate provided with a central opening to securethe holding` of the plate to the furniture has been provided with smallpins or teeth to keep the plate from turning; but such is not myinvention. My pins B receive the thrust and steady the caster in place,while the small screw serves to hold the plate in contact with thefurniture.

Having` thus explained my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- Y l. In a' furniture-easter, a plateprovided with two or more steadying-pins on its upper face away from thecenter, and with apendent stem, in combi-nation with a lcaster frameswiveled on said stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. n

2. The central bearing-frame, E, in combination with the loosely-fittingoscillating aXle` C, provided with the lugs D, or their equivalents,substantially as and for the purpose set 3o forth.

DAVID C. MEEHAN.

Wi tn esses:

DAVID T. RAMSEY, JOSEPH M. LOWE.

